Lamb finishes testimony at Casciaro trial

WOODSTOCK – Shane Lamb, who said he punched Brian Carrick in the face and never saw the teen again, was back on the stand again this morning for continued cross-examination in the Casciaro murder trial.

Mario Casciaro, who prosecutors allege used Lamb as a "henchman" to collect on a drug debt owed by Carrick, is on trial for murder for the second time. Casciaro's first trial ended with a mistrial after jurors failed to reach a verdict.

Lamb, however, has been granted immunity from murder charges related to the disappearance and presumed death of Carrick in 2002.

Prosecutors believe that Lamb, with Casciaro there as well, had a confrontation with Carrick in the produce cooler of Val's Foods, where all three worked.

Lamb testifed Wednesday largely consistently with what he said at the last trial, that he lost his temper and hit Carrick, who "went down."

But Lamb also said that Casciaro never told him to hit or do anything besides talk to Carrick.

Casciaro's attorney, Brian Telander, presented Lamb with previous statements he made on several different occasions, each before he was granted immunity. Every time, Lamb denied having anything to do with Carrick's disappearance.

Lamb said he would say whatever he could to get the heat off him and the store.

"Of course I was going to lie to them," Lamb said.

Lamb, who has a lengthy criminal record, including five prison stints, also was asked about repeated letters to Assistant State's Attorney Michael Combs asking for help in getting transferred to a lower-security prison.

In the letters, he made statements like, "You told me I'd be taken care of and now I'm just a sitting duck."

Combs didn't respond to those letters.

Other testimony included two of Carrick's 13 siblings, Bridget and Ed. Ed said he last saw his brother walking into Val's Foods about 6:45 p.m. on the day he disappeared, but never saw him again.